Sailing through the Galapagos

Well, I have finally made it back from my mini-traveling adventure around Ecuador with Dan. What an unforgettable trip! I will be posting a few different blogs but I thought I would start with the cruise!
I'm thinking you should add the Galapagos Islands to the list of things you need to see during your life time..it really is as spectacular as everyone says.We visited 7 of the 13 main islandsOur cruise ship....we had 5 different language groups on our ship (Italian, German, English, Spanish and Japanese. I think our English group lucked out with some of the best guides though. One of our guides was a native to the Galapagos Islands .)Embarking on my first cruiseWe got to take dingies from the ship to the islands. I would have loved to have taken one of those dingies out for a cruise solo. Our sun deck where saw some of the most beautiful sunsets Where we ate all of our tasty mealsThe very first day we saw a penguin!The sea lion circling our dingie boat.
The water was so clear and turquoise everywhere we went. One of the Galapagos beaches we visited as the sun was going down

Our sunset toast with the crew of the shipB-e-a-U-tiful

The infamous spitting marine iguanas, which tend to blend into the rocks so well, that some people almost accidentally stepped on them.Loving life

The sea lions where my favorite part. I couldn't get enough photos of them. I did, however, decide to spare you the sea lion photo overload. I just picked some of my favorites and then posted a video at the end of this blog.
It must have been breeding season because we saw tons of sea lion pups...so adorable.

One of the first islands we visited..Santa Cruz

The red against the black lava rock was very striking

Bartolomeo Island and the Pinnacle Rock. We climbed to the top of the volcanic cone and had a good view of the other islands along with blue footed boobies diving into the ocean for fish. Later that day, we got to do some incredible snorkeling along the island. We swam above giant sea turtles, a white-tipped shark, sting ray, a monterey, sea lions and other colorful tropical fish.
The best part about the Galapagos Islands was definitely the wild life and how close up you could get to the animals without disturbing them.
Dan teased me about how much I liked the sea lions but I know he was secretly falling in love with them too.

A spiky bundle of spitting lizzards

I loved the sea lions playful inquisitive natureSimplicityYet another one of my favorites...

It was mating season for the frigate birds. The male frigate is trying to win over a female frigate by puffing up his red gular pouch. The red pouch starts out the size of a small deflated water balloon and grows to the size of a giant watermelon. I have to say, this trip definitely got be more interested in bird watching.

On one of the last days of our cruise, we went to a big green valley where giant tortoises liked to roam. The tortoises weighed over 400lbs!Volcano tunnel

The bones of the cows who discovered the volcano tunnel
What an amazing trip! And I leave you with a video of my favorite Galapagos sea animals!

Saying good-bye to 2008

After visiting my site, Dan and I headed to the Sierra where the culture, climate and food are so very different than the coast.

Bella Vista (Beautiful View) from our hike in the mountains

The Andes Mountains are so beautiful

Our chiva, tour guide bus, stopped at various waterfalls

A mini-version of me behind the waterfall. It was not easy to get that spot as I had to crawl in the dark on my hands and knees in a small compact path cut out of the rocks that winded around to the backside of the waterfall...completely worth it though!

Because Dan's flight back to Colorado was on New Year's day from Guayaquil, we had to spend New Year's Eve in the city. On our way to Guayaquil, we got to spend some time with some of my PC friends! Good times!

Right in the city of Guayaquil is a giant iguana park where the giant 3 feet lizards hang from trees and scurry across the pavement. The park was a site to see that definitely felt out of place sitting in the middle of sky scrappers and old cathedrals.

Apparently iguanas like green apples

He couldn't resist

On New Year's Eve, the Melecon was filled with people, concerts and plays with Disney characters for the kids. We saw many giant papier-mache dolls that usually represented political figures, athletes or famous singers. In the picture above, you can see Barak Obama standing next to the Olympic athlete Jefferson Perez.
At the end of the night, all of the dolls are burned. It is tradition for families to also make dolls that symbolize the "ano viejo," the old year. After a big dinner with relatives, the families also burn their dolls/the old year to start off the new year with a clean sleight.
As I was saying good-bye to 2008 and starting the new year, I also had to say good-bye to Dan. His trip had sadly come to an end. I dropped him off at the airport (which was not easy) and had to face the reality of going back to my Ecuadorian life. (Part of me was wishing I could fit into his suitcase and go back with him...it would be so nice to see you all!) Don't get me wrong, I have truly enjoyed my experience here but I miss you all and I had forgotten about the small luxuries that I had once missed. Compared to how I travel with my PC amigos, Dan and I traveled like celebrities. It was fabulous but I can tell it is going to take some time to re-adjust to my life in my small rural community.
Through our travels, however, I do feel like a better expert on what sites to suggest for future visitors! So, when you are getting ready to plan your trip to Ecuador, I can give you plenty of good advice! (Ariana and Matt, I am in the process of writing you an email right now! I can't wait!)

Happy Holidays from Ecuador

Well, I am so thrilled because I am about to embark on a mini-quest around Ecuador with some pleasant company from the States. I will be leaving soon to go pick up Dan at the Guayaquil airport. He will be visiting for about 2 ½ weeks, and I can’t wait for him to visit my community. I know he is nervous about the language barrier but I think he will be happily surprised to find out that communication extends beyond words. You can tell so much through facial expressions, body language, pointing, drawing, interpretive dancing…it just requires some creativity. We have many exciting things planned for the rest of the month, and I am excited that December 12^th has finally arrived.

Due to upcoming traveling, I will not have many opportunities to use the Internet and blog. I promise to post pictures upon my return and tol reveal the wonders of the Galapagos Islands!

I would like to take the time to wish all you dear people a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I will miss having the trees dusted in snow (or even cold weather for that fact) to paint the city into a pretty white Christmas scene, but I know this holiday season will be one never to forget.

I hope you all have a beautiful and restful holiday. God Bless.

Love,

Alea

First World Aids Day in Honorato Vasquez brought to you by Talia

World AIDS day march…draining but worthwhile project!

• Clowns, whistles, banners (that my youth group and I stayed up painting until late hours of the night), posters, the school band, the high school students and teachers, elementary school students, the health center, the police, the mayor, the beauty queen formed my grand day of events to raise awareness about HIV.
• There were several setbacks while planning the march but I am happy to report that somehow everything fell together…at parts things felt like they were on the brim of falling apart with the energy of 250 kids intensifying but with the assistance of my great Ecuadorian friends, we pulled it back together.
  

My youth group's beautiful World Aids Day banner Everyone loved wearing the little red ribbons
Clowns to entertain the kidsThe kids are so adorable in their school uniformsIt turned out to be a very sunny day but my neighbor friend Arnaldo rode his tricycle through the parade carrying jugs of agua on the flatbed to pass out to the kids marching in the parade.

Lessons learned:

• Think twice about passing out whistles at any future kid events
• When planning an event, having a back-up plan is not enough. It is highly recommended to have a Plan B, a Plan C and maybe even a Plan D when organizing an event …it is hard to get people to follow through with commitments.

The high school band After the march, I invited all the participants to an exhibition in the elementary school with mini-workshops continuing with the World Aids Day theme.The best part about the day was when I heard kids telling their parents as they were being picked up, everything they had learned from the exhibition...very rewarding experience that made me feel like all the work was worthwhile.

My wonderful group who helped me put the event together

After the march, I was asked by another high school to give some more health workshops and to replicate the Aids presentation. I spent the last couple of weeks testing out my skills, and I have to say I was surprised to find out how much I enjoyed the classroom setting. (maybe I will get my M-R-S license and become a teacher when I return to the States, you never know)

(PS. Have I already mentioned how my community gave me the name Talia? For some reason, Alea was simply too difficult to pronounce and adding the letter T to the front end of my name transformed it into something they recognized. (Thanks to the beautiful and well known singer singer named Thalia)

Chronicles of November

Well, November proved to be very busy, and I am happy to say that I started to get worn out. I feel like it is a sign that my work is finally starting to pick up and my community has started to trust that I can be a hard worker and can contribute to community projects. The next post will include pictures from my big World Aids Day event!

To fastward a little bit, when my World AIDS exhibition was over, I headed to Salinas...Miami beach look alike, to unwind. Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Bendeck, (parents of my fellow PC friend) we stayed in a condo with an ocean-front view.

In Salinas we decided to stay in and cook. Chrissy, Geoff and Hannah, other PC volunteers, turned out to be quite the gourmet chefs.Another dance party in town center combined with a celebration for my friend’s birthday…I danced so much, they gave me a music CD as a prize (the dancing isn’t by choice…I don’t get a chance to sit down.)

Continuing with the celebrations, we celebrated my little hooligan of a host brother’s First Communion this weekend..(As much as he terrorizes my things and torments my living space, I have to say I actually thought he looked quite adorable with his Dad’s navy blue necktie, hair freshly cut and gelled for his big day. I have to admit, I found myself feeling like his proud older sister…. )

The entire family came to watch as Joselo proclaimed his faith and participated in his very first communion. All the young girls were dressed in mini-bride dresses and the boys were sporting their finest dress clothes. After the ceremony, we returned to my host family’s house for a big feast to celebrate Joselo’s accomplishments. (Sunday morning, I awoke to high pitch squeals coming from the 3 chickens my host mom was killing for this particular feast. Apparently, it is quiet the honor to have a chicken killed in your name, and this specific day, my host family killed 3. Let’s just say they were a little proud of Joselo.)

Ecua-family

Joselo’s cousin who helped keep me entertained during the long church ceremony.

Besides staying surprisingly busy this November, another Thanksgiving has come and gone. This year, however, was my first Thanksgiving spent away from home and without my dearly loved family. So, thousands of miles away from home, I decided to make the best of my situation. I had been invited to spend the holiday at the U.S. Consulate’s home in Guayaquil. It was nice to gather with other fellow Peace Corps volunteers and to eat good traditional American cooking. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the feast that we were about to devour. We ate turkey, stuffing!, garlic mashed potatoes and even cranberry sauce (which had to be imported from the States). The Consulate’s spectacular home came complete with a personal volleyball court, an outdoor pool, a magnificent patio along with an in home maid and chef. I wasn’t use to all the pampering.

What was really touching about the night was when we went around in a circle and shared what we were thankful for. It wasn’t a time of mono-tone cheesy responses but rather a time of heartfelt genuine comments that were shared amongst the group that made me tear-up several times. I feel blessed for this opportunity to serve in the Peace Corps…what a challenging but rewarding experience. I am grateful for my incredible family in the States (who loves me in spite of all my quirks and outlandish adventures), and for my great family here in Ecuador (who has welcomed me into their home like a daughter of their own).
I am also sincerely grateful for all of you! My friends mean the world to me and continue to be a great support and encouragement. You are the best.

What about you? What are YOU thankful for?

The natural beauty of this wondrous country continues to amaze me